Every penny I raise brings Breast Cancer Now closer to their goal

I’m Valerie, aka Val or Mrs P.

I’m 1 of 9 siblings born to Jamaican parents.

I have 3 daughters (one died at an early age) and 7 grandchildren (who range from 14 to 26). Family is incredibly important to me.

A few members of my family and a work colleague have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer.  

I’ve been motivated to support Breast Cancer Now because I just feel in my heart that I can and must do something.

I’ve been fundraising and volunteering for Breast Cancer Now for a number of years. I’ve taken part in wear it pink, the Pink Ribbon Walk and attended the Christmas carol services. But in 2023, I decided to hold an Afternoon Tea.

I’m a big people person and I love talking to anybody and everybody. I also love hosting events and being creative, so the tea was a great opportunity for me to socially catch up with friends and family, while raising money for an important cause.

As well as fundraising, I find that Afternoon Tea is a great platform to raise awareness of breast health and breast checking, which is really important to me. You can order health information to display at your event on the extra orders page.

People think of Afternoon Tea as quintessentially British, but you can put whatever you want on the menu!

I decided to serve savoury foods with a Caribbean twist. Knowing my guests as well as I do, I knew it would be a big hit! My menu included Bully beef (corn beef) on hard dough bread, cocktail-sized dumplings, ginger cake and so on.

I’ve shared my homemade Callaloo and Lentil Pasties recipe with the tea-loving team, and I hope others use it to raise money. There’s nothing I like more than someone being inspired to host their own fundraising event.

I know that every penny I raise brings Breast Cancer Now closer to their goal

The goal that by 2050, everyone diagnosed with breast cancer will live, and be supported to live well. This is incredibly motivating for me.